The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-20
The Brightwood Drillers Ordered to
Bore Three Hundred Feet Deeper.
TheIndications Are Unfayorable to Their Sue
cess, but Still They Have Encouraging
Possibilities Ahead, and Will Go On.
The Boring at Bridgeport Expected to
Reach Trenton Rock To-Day.
Rumors and Talk on the Street About the Out
p look-State Geologist ThOmpsOn's Theory
About the Origin of Natural Gas.

1l Inc gentlemen Immediately interested IN the
Brightwood well are not by any means sanguine
that their first experiment will prove successful
The indications now are decidedly the other
way, but there is cingng to possibilities that
encourages the directors of the company to con-
tinue the boring. 1t is probably this feeling on
the part Of the companys officers that caused
the rumors and counter-rumors on the streets
yesterday Everybody had something to say
about natural gas, and men whose thoughts,
week ago, were directed to other enterprises
took part in theorizing over signs and talking
about belts lines, similar conditions and all
other matters pertaining to the one enerossing
subject
hi Conspicuous among the rumors, yesterday,
was one that Trenton rock had not been
reached at Brightwood. There was some show
of truth in this, for the directors of the Capital
City Company were for time in doubt They
could not altogether account for the whiteness
of the rock, when the specimens of gas bearing
Trenton they had seen were of a dark brown
color. and very porous. When the drill went
further. and fragments of this brown rock were
brought to the surface, it was thought then that
the white rock Lad misled them. For time
the experimentalists were of the opinion
that they had become discouraged
little too soor, but Stephen T..
Lee, assistant State Geoogist. who had
gone out to the well to inspect the rock said
that it was Trenton, but that its wilderness was
educ to certain chemical elements neutralizng
the gas. From this an inference was drawn
that gas had been there, and that if the boring
went on the rich rock would finally be reached.
The darker but finty fragments renewed hope.
and every turn of the drill was expected 10
bring the gas up through the pipe
The driller out there has had experience in
the Pennsylvania fields and he told the direct
ors that the conditions, while not assuring,
not altogether unfavorabe. No oil, as on the
day before, could be detected, but. largely on
the driller's advice the directors agreed unani-
feet more. at least. They had been
told that in Pennsylvania a drill would go 1000
feet or more without profitable developments,
but the operators would order the boring to go
through to /. 800 or 100 feet, when in almost
every instance strong flow of gas was obtained.
When the Capital City directors decided to
abandon the well, the drill had gone ,02O feet.
1t is proposed to reach 300 feet. They also
considered the advisablity of shooting the we'll.
but this will not be DONE if at all. until the 300
additional feet have been bored. This operation
will cost about $500, as the nitro-glycerine must
be carried overland to the we'll from Ohio with
the utmost care. Once there the explosive is
lowered to the bottom of the bore where it is
exploded by dropping on it a weight 4el4
The directors have so much faithin what they
are doing that the location for anew we'll was
chosen. 1t is a short distance from the first and
ii the second also fails another will be bored.
The Indianapolis Natural-gas Company and
the company boring at Twelfth street. are
equally determined to continue prospecting
til gas is obtained or it is demonstrated that
there is probability ct finding it in Marion
county. The first named company is boring at
Bridgeport, where it is expected that Trenton
rock will be struck to-day. A few years ago
surface gas made its appearances at that place,
hence, the faith is strong with them that the
Bridgeport we'll will yield profitable flow.
ut will take eighty good gas wells, yielding
Is, 600, 600 feet daily said director Of the In
dianapolis company, ito supply this city. We
propose to sink dozen in prospecting. I am
certain Indianapolis will find gas" This COM
pany is drilling at Broad Ripple, where two
hundred feet or more have been gone through,
but the work is difficult account of the nature
OF the drift. At Westheld the same company
began work on Monday.
The news concerning the Noblesvile we'll was
accepted as q certainty of Indianapolis hav-
ing gas through pipe lines, if not from her own
wells. 1t will cost about S., 900 per mile to lay
the pipe. There are already indications of the
formation of a pipeline company. 1t has either
Bridgeport or Noblesville in view. John j.
Cooper, of the Twelfth-street company. left
yesterday for the latter place on prospecting
trip, as he termed it.
At the Twelfthstreet well the drill is still fast
in limestone, through which the drilling has
been almost since it began. About $50 feet have
been drilled, and it is expected work will be re-
sumed in a few DAYS. "If we fail in this we'll y
said director of the company, 1--WE will try
again and again until we certain of gas or
no gas"